Malpas

[Simon Pieman]

Malpas has probably so many picked holes in the game and let them go away to think about it. Overloading people with information is normally not a good thing.

If Malpas make the team improve within the next few games, such that I would be able to see something there for a promotion push (in the next 2 seasons), then I will let the bitter disappointed of Leeds go. If I can't see enough of an improvement then I will consider that Malpas' time may be coming to an end. No need to panic yet, as long as something changes. I really thought the franchise game was just that at the time, but evidentally I was wrong.

Our Directors are just as disappointed with the Leeds game as the fans.

[Arriba]

i agree with si.the stats i read yesterday are not great reading for malpas as he has had a fair chunk of time now.we look better upfront and at times the midfield.but our defence and keepers are not performing.i dont know why.but malpas and williams have loads of experience so should be addressing this.
i'm still backing malpas for now and hope he can sort things out.

[michael]

I am of that persuasion too.

Those stats didn't make for great reading but I am happy to draw a line under last season and start afresh this season. So then, how long into a season is time to judge? I'd like to think that after 10 games I'd have an idea of where we were at, but maybe 15 is a better barometer - we would have played over half of our league opponents by then.

[flammableBen]

Obviously 45 points after 15 games would be ideal, but to be honest I can't see Malpas pulling that off.

[michael]

You reckon?

[axs]

Obviously 45 points after 15 games would be ideal, but to be honest I can't see Malpas pulling that off.

I think he can do it.

[Arriba]

seroiusly 10 games is a good enough marker imo.if we dont improve in the next 4 games then i'd sack him

[Don Rogers Shop]

I would sack him monday but i am pissed off

[Simon Pieman]

A lot of mention about lack of confidence here and I am not going to argue. I've also noticed the players on the pitch having more and more of a go at each other when things go wrong. Rather than simply lay blame where we all perceive Malpas/Byrne to be destroying this, I offer my thoughts on how things were previously.

Relegation to league 2 was a bitter blow, the whole fanbase and team at a low ebb and nothing could really get much worse. However, the installment of Wise and Poyet brought a sense of excitement back to the fans, I'm sure the players felt the same excitement. This immediate excitement puts an up on everyone at the very start.

One thing Wise was very good at was bigging up his team and his players. He wanted the fans to know we were good, he wanted the opposition to know we were good (and probably put the fear in them) but best of all he wanted the players to know they were good. Christian Roberts looked a changed player under Wise - in fact he won the player of the month at the start of the new season. Brezovan looked an amazing acquisition, but even though he has learnt more English, has looked shakey ever since. People have put this down to his injury. If it is purely down to that he should see a (sports) pyschologist. In my view, the confidence he had was down to Wise.

Of course, we lost Wise and Poyet to the team that stuffed us on Saturday. Sturrock took over, a manager with a proven record outside the Premiership, a manager who many fans hold in high regard. Whilst Sturrock wasn't as exciting for the armchair fans not in the know, everyone else felt a sense of relief. Everything was going to be ok and Sturrock would take care of us. I'm sure the players felt this too. Sturrock made us and the team breathe a different kind of confidence, he brought in a lot of his old boys, players he knew he could rely on and players who knew they could rely on him. There was a great team bond, even through the off field saga.

The difference with Malpas is that he's been up against it from the off. An unknown manager in England, the fans and players didn't know what to expect. I suspect this initial uncertainty mixed with the blow of losing their old boss hurt the team spirit. Confidence is probably getting lower after a poor run at the back end of last year. I fear the players were looking to install the confidence amongst themselves when they mentioned our 'outside playoff chance'. I know nobody wants to build up false hope for the fans but any mention of playoffs is just that. Really they wanted Malpas to big the team up in a way Wise would have done.

Cox is definitely our most confident, cockiest player who blows his own trumpet all of the time. But this serves him well. The bloke makes mistakes, he's human. But he bounces back. The rest of the team don't bounce back with him a lot of the time. Perhaps Malpas needs to make us a bit cockier. You can inspire anyone to complete a task but everyone has a setback. Natural confidence will only make you hold strong. When your task is 3 points and you have a wobble, you want everyone to rally up and hold strong. Malpas's problem isn't motivation or inspiration, we don't seem to have that winning attitude (except for Cox).

By and large our team isn't remarkably different now than it was last year or even the year before that. The same core is there. These players know each other by now. They should be thriving on team spirit, buzzing at the prospect of impressing (at the moment) increased gates. If I see a change in this, it will be the biggest change of all.

Possibly the longest post I have ever written. My one line summary is it's mostly bollocks, but I loves you all. Well the posters I have met in the real world, the rest of you are cunts.

[axs]

I can't be arsed to read all that.

[Simon Pieman]

I suggest you go back to the secret bit then

[axs]

i was kidding, i read it really.

[axs]

I suggest you go back to the secret bit then

what secret bit?

[Arriba]

i was going to say good post si until the last sentence.
 os i'll say what the fuck was all that shit about?  you fucking clueless cunt instead.

[Don Rogers Shop]

Good post but bit like a suicide note